Sidney Williams

Headed Chicago Urban League

March 25, 1992|By Rhonda Anderson.

Sidney R. Williams, 83, a longtime civil rights activist, was for 8 years the executive director of the Chicago Urban League and was outspoken on issues deemed ``militant`` during his tenure in the late 1940s to mid-1950s.

Born the 11th of 12 children in Elloree, S.C., Mr. Williams, who went on to obtain several degrees, including two honorary doctorates, died Saturday of heart failure in Humana-Michael Reese Hospital, Chicago.

Mr. Williams was active in civil and human rights before he became involved with the Urban League.

During World War II, he served in the American Red Cross in Europe and North Africa. He was the agency`s first black director in London, and he ran the Red Cross ``liberty`` clubs where he was stationed. While directing the liberty club in Casablanca in 1943, he met entertainer Josephine Baker and helped to restart her cabaret career. Actor Louis Gossett Jr. portrayed Williams in the cable television movie, ``The Josephine Baker Story.``

After the Red Cross, Mr. Williams began his tenure with the Urban League. In 1933, he became industrial secretary of the St. Louis Urban League and in 1941 was appointed executive director of the Cleveland Urban League. His appointment to the latter job made him the youngest director at the time to hold the job in a large city.

His work in Cleveland included the push to get African-Americans into national trade unions and the development of the Interracial Scholarship Fund at Antioch College.

While executive director of the Urban League in Chicago from 1947 to 1955, Mr. Williams supported the impeachment of Mayor Martin Kennelly for not providing what he believed to be adequate police and fire protection for blacks who moved into white neighborhoods. He also organized blacks to explore ways to improve housing for blacks in the city.

He was forced to quit his post because leaders in the Urban League felt his outspokenness caused the group a loss of financial support from merchants and corporations in the Chicago. He then became active in the struggle for the liberation of blacks in African nations, became a college lecturer and opened his own African import store.

Mr. Williams is survived by his wife, Ruth Carey; two sons, Paul Carryon and Sidney Ervin; and two grandchildren.

Visitation will be held at noon Saturday in the Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2401 S. Wabash Ave. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in the church.